Logar: Taliban stop teachers from attending girls’ schools

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): The Taliban have stopped teachers from performing their duties at girls’ schools in the Baraki Barak district of central Logar province, a local official said on Tuesday.

District chief Ainuddin Aminkhel told Pajhwok Afghan News for the past three days teachers had been away from the higher secondary schools, which had been closed.

“The Taliban threatened the teachers with death if they attend the schools. As a result, the girls’ schools have been closed,” he said. The issue has been shared with tribal elders and religious scholars.

Provincial Council’s Deputy Chairman Abdul Wali Wakeel also confirmed the closure of schools and said the militants had taken the step to improve the quality of education.

“The Taliban claim that all schools for girls above sixth grade were ghost schools. Therefore, they have closed the schools,” the public representative added.

When approached by Pajhwok, the Governor’s House and the Education Department declined to comment on the issue.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said he was aware of the closure of schools in Baraki Barak. As many as 150,000 students, including 40,000, girls, are enrolled in 307 schools across Logar.